Girl Named Tennessee
by L0VEisREALx3
Summary: I'll never forget the summer that I spent in Tennessee... It was the summer I learned how to line dance, the summer I lived in a barn and the summer I signed my first record contract. It was also the summer I fell in love.
1. Chapter 1

**So me posting a new story is completely unnecessary, but I have extreme writer's block on my other two stories and I'm craving reviews so here's a short story that I started a LOOOONG time ago and have just had sitting on my iPod. I pretty much have it all written already, so you don't have to worry about waiting months for me to update. It's vaguely based off Girl Named Tennessee by Needtobreathe and by vaguely I mean I got the idea while listening to it, so I'll give them a little credit haha I've never done a story in completely Nick's POV so this should be interesting. Welp, enjoy.**

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><p>I'll never forget the summer that I spent in Tennessee. I was 18, fresh out of high school with nothing but my guitar case (with a few pairs of clean clothes stuffed next to my baby) and a dream. It was the summer I learned how to line dance, the summer I lived in a barn and the summer I signed my first record contract. It was also the summer I fell in love.<p>

It took a little less than twenty-four hours to get to Tennessee by bus and took away a fair portion of the money I had been saving up from my minimum wage job. I figured once I got there I could find a job or maybe even play a few shows to make money. I was so reckless back then, convinced that I would be able to make it work somehow.

I got in around 8 o'clock at night and quickly headed downtown looking for a bar. The atmosphere was so different from anything I was used to in New Jersey. Loud upbeat country music was flying down the street and I knew that this was the place I wanted to be.

I found the source of the music and stepped into the bar/lounge. There were small wooden tables on one side, a bar across the back wall, and a dance floor with a stage area. I smiled. This was exactly what I was looking for. It wasn't exactly a club, but it wasn't just a bar either. It was a place where people clearly came to be entertained by live music and I planned on giving it to them.

A band was up on stage playing an upbeat song and there were some people out on the dance floor. A few old men sat at the bar watching the pretty girls dance.

"You a musician?" a small blond girl asked pointing to my guitar.

I stared at her for a moment. She had a nice body with a short denim skirt and a tight pink tank top on. Her straight blonde hair fell softly on her shoulders. She was pretty and I could see myself getting to know her.

"Yeah," I said with a smile. Sure, I had come for work, but there's no harm in flirting, right?

"Isn't everyone?" she mumbled under her breath and then said louder, "You want to talk to the manager?"

"That would be great," I said with my charming smile again, "Do you know him?"

"Yeah, he's my dad," she said, "My name's Leslie, what's yours?"

"Nick," I told her holding my hand out to shake hers.

"You're not from the area," she said crossing her arms. I couldn't help but notice the way it pushed up her chest. Very nice. "Your accent gives you away," she added, "Follow me."

She turned around and began weaving through the tables. I took the opportunity to check out her ass. Very nice as well. She dipped under the bar and indicated that I should stay put. Then she stepped into the back room.

"You wanna drink?" the bartender asked me. His accent was so thick it was almost hard for a Jersey boy to understand.

"Nah, I'm good," I told him. I tapped my fingers on the bar, waiting for Leslie to come back.

Suddenly the music stopped and a loud cheer rose over the crowd. A few catcalls were also released. I turned around to look at the stage and all thoughts of Leslie left my mind.

The girl on the stage was stunning. Her face was cute and round; she had blue eyes and a tiny little nose. Her lips were pouty and shiny with lip gloss. Her hair was long and wavy with hint of blonde highlights. She had a red plaid shirt on that was buttoned at the top and then tied just above her cut-off shorts so that just a tiny, tiny amount of skin showed when she moved. Words couldn't even describe her amazing legs that ended in short brown cowboy boots with intricate embroidery on them.

She turned around and nodded to the band. I watched mesmerized as the brunette beauty began to sing. I don't think I've ever heard a voice like that and I don't think I ever will. It was beautiful, but it was also a little bit raspy, with a perfect country vibe to it.

I tore my eyes from her for a second to see everyone else's reaction. It seemed as if they all knew her because they were cheering her on like crazy.

Too soon, she was done and she said a quick thank you into the mic and hopped off the stage. I watched as people congratulated her and she blushed.

"She's good, ain't she?" a voice came from my right. I jumped slightly. I hadn't seen him come up next to me.

"She's great. Is she like, famous?" I asked hesitantly. I didn't know how a lot of popular artists these days. I was more into older stuff.

The man chuckled, "only around here. I hear you're a musician?"

"Yessir," I told him as the band picked back up the next song.

"You looking for a record contract?"

I nodded.

"You want to play tonight?"

I was taken off guard. Already? I thought I'd have to like audition or something. I shrugged.

"That attitude ain't gonna get you a record deal," he told me, "Now let me ask again: you wanna play tonight?"

"Yes," I answered quickly.

"That's better," he grinned and then looked over my shoulder at something.

"Miley!" he cried, "You were amazing! A star!"

I turned around to see who he was talking to and the girl from the stage was right behind me. She was even prettier up close.

"You're too sweet, Paul," she said with a laugh. Then she turned and looked at me then my guitar case, "And who's this?"

"My newest musical act," the man who I'm assuming was named Paul said, "His name's Nick. Nick, this here is Miley."

"Hi," she said reaching out to shake my hand. A tingle ran up my arm when I touched her. She was so hot. And she could sing. I wanted to know her.

"Hello," I said, "You were really good up there."

"Thanks," she said with a blush, "You're not from here."

I chuckled, "That's what people keep telling me... But believe it or not, I already know that."

She laughed, "Sorry, it's just-"

"My accent, I know," I interrupted.

"Sorry," she said again with a shy smile.

"It's fine," I assured her.

"You gonna perform tonight?" she changed the subject, gesturing to my guitar case.

"Apparently so," I said wryly.

"Yeah, Paul's funny like that. But it's good for you, you know?"

I shrugged. I didn't know much back then except that I wanted to play music.

"So did he make you play your first night too?"

"Oh, no. I've known Paul my whole life. His daughter is my best friend. Her name's Leslie, have you met her?"

I licked my lips thinking about the hot blonde and her tank top, "Yeah."

"She gets that a lot," Miley laughed, "But her daddy would never let her date a musician."

"Well, what about your daddy?" I asked her, remembering her up on that stage and checking her out again.

She giggled, "Well, he's a musician himself, so I guess it would be pretty hypocritical of him to say no to that."

"I guess so," I said with a smile and leaned against the bar, "Hey, can I get you a drink?"

"I'm only 18," she said quickly and I smiled at her innocence.

"Me too," I assured her, "I didn't mean like that."

"Oh," she said with a tiny blush, "Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed that. I just thought you were older..."

"Nope."

"Nick, you're on in 5 minutes!" Paul shouted suddenly. I could almost feel the color drain from my face.

"So, are you any good?" Miley asked curiously.

"I don't know," I answered honestly, "I just write what I feel."

That made her smile, but she didn't say anything more and next thing I knew, I was being pushed on stage with my guitar. My hands were shaking as I began to play, but soon I was in the zone. The one where it's just me and the music and nothing else matters. The words began to spill out, "_I want someone to love me for who I am..."_

The performance was short but exhilarating and the crowd seemed to like it by their cheers.

"Not bad, Nick," Paul said patting my shoulder as I walked off stage, "Same time tomorrow night? You'll be paid, of course."

I was so excited I didn't even bother to ask how much. All I knew was that I wanted to be back on stage again. I walked over to the bar and sat down.

"Hey, you want a drink?" Miley said, appearing out of nowhere.

"I think I asked you that first," I said with a smirk.

"Yeah, but actually, that's my job," she said, pointing to the name tag on her shirt that indicated she was a waitress.

I blushed a little at the misunderstanding, "uh, no. I'm good. So you work here?"

"Yeah, just for the summer though. So I can save up enough money to move to L.A."

"L.A.?"

"Yeah," she sighed dreamily, "I want to be an actress."

I laughed to myself at the irony. I came to Tennessee for music to meet a girl who wanted to move to L.A. for acting. Seems like everyone would rather be somewhere else to fulfill their dreams..

"Well, good luck."

"Thanks," she beamed, "I'd say the same to you, but after seeing you up there, it seems you don't need it."

"Thanks," I said sincerely, pleased with her compliment, "But trust me, I'll need it."

She chuckled and shook her head playfully.

"Miley!" a voice called from down the bar a little, "Can you get me another one of these?" the man asked gesturing to his empty glass.

"Duty calls," she said with a smile before ducking under the bar. I watched her as she walked over to the older guy. He must have been at least in his late fifties.

"I swear you get prettier every day, Miss Miley," he said with a slight slur to his voice.

"Oh stop it," Miley giggled, "Flattery won't make me give you anything stronger than soda from here on out."

She grabbed a glass and used the drink nozzle to pour him a glass of what looked like Sprite and then placed it in front of him.

"You're a good girl, Miley," he said chuckling and taking a gulp of the soda, "You tell that boy down there to treat you well, you hear me?"

Miley looked over at me, but I didn't have time to look away. Busted.

"Don't worry, I will," she said winking at me. My stomach did a weird thing, which is funny because usually if a girl winks at me I feel something a little, ahem, lower than that.

I stayed at the bar almost for a few hours. I should have tried to find a place to stay for the night, but instead I kept sitting there, drinking a coke and watching people dance line dances that I was unfamiliar with. I had never been much of a dancer, even simple slow dances seemed tough for me.

I was watching a particularly complicated one which involved using your arms and legs and had several steps that I couldn't even figure out just by looking.

"You like that dancing, huh?" Miley said out of nowhere. It must have been almost 11 by now but I hadn't seen her in a while.

"I don't get it," I told her honestly staring back at the dancers.

"Well, I get off in 2 minutes exactly. I'll teach you."

"No," I said shaking my head, "no, really, I couldn't..."

"Listen Nick, this is Tennessee. If you want to fit in and have people like you, which is essential to get people to talk about you and therefore have some label reps come see you, you're gonna have to do this stuff."

I sighed because I knew she was right. She could tell just by my defeated look that she had won.

"I'll just go punch out and put my name tag away and I'll be right back," she told me, "Don't think about going anywhere."

"I won't," I promised and watched as she walked away, wondering what I was getting myself into.


	2. Chapter 2

**Just fyi, these are going to be short. Like it was going to be a oneshot, but I wanted people to actually review~~**

Three songs later and I still hadn't figured any of the dances out yet. Miley kept trying to teach me, but I kept tripping over my own feet and forgetting the steps when the time came to do them.

"Forget it," I said after another failed attempt, "I have no rhythm."

"You're a musician! You must have rhythm," Miley said with a laugh, "it's nowhere near as complicated as you're making it."

"It is," I insisted, "We don't dance like this where I'm from!"

"So how do you dance up north?" Miley asked with smirk.

As if on cue, the next song the band played was a slow one. Without hesitating I reached out and pulled her body close to mine by her waist. She put her arms out to catch herself and they landed on my shoulders. Our faces were so close that her nose was practically brushing mine.

"Like this," I whispered and a light pink color rose to her cheeks. She blushed so easily. I decided it was sweet.

I was going to be here for the whole summer. Maybe even longer if I could afford it. I wouldn't mind having a pretty girl by my side. Maybe it wouldn't last, but I was young and even though I had a goal I thought I deserved some fun too. Miley seemed like a cool girl. She was different than the uptight east coast princesses I was used to dealing with.

The song changed to a faster one, but Miley didn't let go and neither did I. I don't know how long we stood on the dance floor swaying. We didn't talk much, but I didn't mind. It was perfect until we were interrupted.

"Miley!" Paul shouted, coming up next to us. I let go of her waist and she stepped away from me, "Your daddy just called. It's almost midnight, what are you still doing here?"

I noticed the look he gave me. It wasn't necessarily disapproving, but it was definitely wary. And maybe he had a good reason for it. I mean, it wasn't like I was planning on marrying Miley. I'm not the marrying kind anyway. I just wanted to have fun this summer.

"Oh my gosh," Miley panicked, "I didn't even notice! Is he angry?"

"I'd say more worried than angry," Paul said, "But you should get going."

"Thanks," Miley said giving the older man a hug. I waited politely for them to finish and for Paul to leave.

"So where are you staying?" she asked me as she turned around. Her question surprised me into answering honestly.

"I don't know."

"Well, my barn has a loft," Miley said with a shrug of her shoulders. A barn? My face scrunched up at the thought. She must have noticed because she continued, "Listen Mr. Northeast, obviously you don't have enough money to stay anywhere, and people here aren't always exactly welcoming to new folks. It's summer. My barn has a roof. Take it or leave it."

Needless to say, I took it.

And that's how I found myself walking Miley home. It wasn't exactly close, but it wasn't that far either. The longest part of the journey seemed like it was the walk down her driveway past all the land her family owned.

To be honest, I was panting by the time we got to the small white house. Miley walked up to the door and opened it slowly. She put her hand to her lips indicating that I should be quiet.

"Miley? Is that you?" a male voice asked the second she walked in the house. The light turned on in the hallway and there stood who I assumed was her dad. He was tall with longish brown hair, but he seemed pretty laid back.

"Yes, daddy," she said looking at the floor, "I'm sorry I'm late. It's just that I was talking with my new friend and I didn't notice the time."

"It's fine, bud. Just try and let me know next time okay? So who's this new friend?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that, daddy," she stepped aside so that he could see me behind her, "This is my friend, Nick. He's from New Jersey. Paul hired him to play down at the bar. He needs a place to stay. The loft's empty. Please daddy?" she asked biting her lip. I knew in a second that he was going to give into her. Who could resist that face?

Her dad gave me the same wary look that Paul did, but eventually stuck out his hand, "Of course, Nick. You're welcome to stay with us."

"Thank you so much, sir," I say shaking his hand firmly, "I promise it will only be until I can afford to stay somewhere else and I'll give you compensation when I can, of course."

"Nonsense," he shook his head and turned to Miley, "I like this boy. He's got good southern manners."

I was pleased by the compliment though. And relieved too. I was pretty sure most fathers wouldn't be cool with their teenage daughter bringing home some male stranger to live with them.

"I'll just go grab some stuff and then I'll be back out," Miley said quickly with a smile and then ran up the stairs.

"So you're a musician, huh?" her dad asked me and I nodded in response.

"That's good," he approved, "Good luck with that."

"Thank you, sir," I replied before Miley came down the stairs with a few blankets and a pillow in her arms.

"C'mon, Nick," she called back as she rushed out the door.

"Goodnight, Nick," her dad yelled as I followed Miley and I yelled back to wish him the same.

The barn wasn't that far from the house and the second we got inside I could hear the rustling and breathing of the horses. There was definitely a farm like smell, but in all honesty, it could've been a lot worse. Like I could have been sleeping in an alley that some other homeless people have used as a bathroom.

Miley walked purposefully to the ladder that was straight across from the door. There was a small platform next to it and Miley put the blankets down and indicated that I put my guitar case down as well.

"Alright," she said with that southern twang that I was finding more and more attractive, "When I get to the top, you pull that rope so we can get your stuff up here."

I quickly realized that the platform was attached to ropes that were attached to a pulley above the loft. As Miley climbed the ladder, I took a moment to check out her ass in those shorts. The curve of her butt was just barely visible up the leg of her shorts when she climbed up the later. There was no way this girl was single. But then again, I didn't see a boyfriend watching her performance and she had spent all night with me.

Once she got to the top, I hoisted the items up into it. Like a pro, she grabbed it when it got up there and pulled it onto the floor of the loft. As soon as I saw she had it, I ascended the ladder as well.

It wasn't much, but I knew it would do. Miley was at work putting sheets on a beat up looking mattress on the floor in the corner. One side of the loft was filled with bags of animal feed, but the other had the mattress and a crate as a bedside table with a kerosene lamp perched on top of it. There were also a set of empty shelves where I could store what few clothes I had brought.

"I used to want to sleep up here all the time when I was little to be with my horse," Miley explained as she crawled around making the bed. I should have told her she didn't have to do that, but she looked so cute, like a little housewife, so I didn't.

"So there you go," she said when she was finished, wiping her hands on her shorts, "Do you need anything else?"

What I did next was a bold move, I admit. And it probably would've been a stupid one other any other circumstances, but this was different. This was Miley.

So I walked up to her, grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into a deep kiss. And I don't mean a little peck or anything. This was a full on kiss right out of the blue.

I could tell she was surprised and for a moment I thought she was going to push me away. I could actually feel her hands on my chest about to shove me.

But she didn't. Probably because she felt the same spark that I did as I kissed her aggressively in the loft that night. She seemed to melt into me and it surprised me how perfect it felt to have her in my arms. Her lips were soft and I could tell they were inexperienced which made me smile. I slowly lowered us both onto the bed with me on top of her.

I ran my tongue across her bottom lip, parting them gently. Once her lips were open, I slid my tongue in meeting her hesitant but willing one. I smiled again as I felt her hands shaking against my shoulders.

We stayed in that position making out for a while until she suddenly pulled away and pushed me off of her.

"Wait!" she cried standing up quickly and adjusting her clothes, "I'm a virgin," she said quickly and then blushed, looking down.

"That's okay," I said with a smile and got up to move close to her.

"I'm waiting," she clarified with a cough.

Well, that sounded like a challenge to me.

"Okay," I said with another smile and her nerves seemed to disappear.

"Goodnight, Nick," she said with a giggle and then began to climb down the ladder.

"Goodnight, Miley," I called back and I heard that giggle ring through the air again as she walked to the house.

I knew right there and then that this was bound to be an interesting summer.

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><p><strong>Getting frisky in the barn ;)<strong>

**Question time: I have a pretty big following on fanfiction (and you guys are so awesome and patient and I love you) so I was just wondering, how did you find out about my stories? Just browsing on FF? From a friend? Twitter? Another website? I'd love to hear your stories! Thank you for reading! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Ah, sorry, kind of forgot that I posted this story and then I wanted to read it over/edit it before I posted it. So here ya go. It may not seem like it, but there are only a few chapters left. I haven't 100% decided on the ending yet though so feel free to give some input.**

The next morning I was woken up to the sound of squawking chickens and a beautiful female voice. Miley, I realized right away. Even though it was early I scrambled out of bed and threw clothes on over my boxers.

When I got down from the loft I saw Miley collecting eggs while singing to herself.

It took her a moment to notice me, but when she did, she smiled.

"Oh hey, Nick," she said with a grin.

"'Oh hey, Nick'?" I mimicked, "That's all I get?"

"What were you expecting?" she said with a smirk as she finished putting the last of the eggs in her basket.

"Hmm... Maybe a kiss?" I asked flirtingly.

She shook her head, "how about a horse ride?"

This took me completely off guard.

"I, um, well, I'm not-"

"You've never ridden a horse," she said calmly as if this was normal. She didn't make me seem like an idiot and I appreciated it. "I'll teach you."

I was about to protest, but then she looked me straight in the eyes and it felt like some sort of test. I looked back at her bright eyes and I realized that whatever game she was playing would be completely worth it in the end.

"Okay," I agreed.

It went about just as good as I expected. I got up on the horse and Miley showed me how to steer and how to sit and squeeze my legs to make the horse go. It was a slow process, but eventually she took me (slowly) to a small hill that overlooked her land and the town. The sun was still low in the sky and a heavy mist hung over the fields.

I let out a whistle, "Is that all yours?"

"Yeah," she said with a smile, "Half of it used to be my mom's family's and the other half my dad's. That's how they met. And when they got married they just combined the two properties."

"When can I meet your mom?" I asked with a smile just imagining all the ways I could charm her and make Miley want me. I've learned that girls like Miley want a guy who gets along with her family.

"She died," Miley said matter-of-factly.

"Oh… I-I'm sorry," I said unsure of myself. I didn't know what to do. I'd never experienced something like this. It added a whole new dimension to Miley.

"It's okay… you know, we should get back," Miley said and then turned her horse around and began to gallop away.

"Wait! Miley!" I yelled and tried to turn the horse I was riding around. It was nowhere near as smooth as when Miley did it, but it worked. I squeezed harder to urge the horse faster. Soon I was bouncing up and down and trying to hold on tightly. I knew my legs were going to be sore later, but I just wanted to catch up to her.

I couldn't though. By the time I got to the barn, Miley had already unsaddled her horse.

"Miley," I said gasping for air. That ride really winded me.

"Here, let me show you how to unsaddle her," she said, acting as if nothing had happened, like she hadn't just ran away from me.

"Miley," I said again, grabbing her wrist as she tried to turn away from me. She looked at me as if daring me to say anything and the truth was I didn't even know what to say. Instead I slid my hand down into hers and squeezed it firmly, but gently. Then I pulled her closer and wrapped my arms around her.

Her own arms wrapped around my neck and she held onto me tightly in a way I'd never been held before. I rubbed her back gently, not in a sensual way, but in a comforting way.

After a few moments, she pulled away from our intense embrace and quickly began to prattle on about taking care of the horse again.

Her change of subject didn't fool me though. Something, something I was sure of at the time, had definitely happened between us. The hug we shared was no ordinary embrace.

That night was my first performance. I was putting my guitar back in it's case so I could get ready to leave when I saw Miley's face popping up over the edge of the loft.

"Ready to go?" she asked me cheerily.

"Yep," I said picking up my guitar case and placing it on the platform so I could lower it. Miley made her way down the ladder and I followed. She had already lowered my guitar by the time I got down.

"Cute outfit," I said yanking one of her braided pigtails. She had the same shorts she was wearing the night before and another plaid top, complete with cowboy boots.

"Thank you," she said, doing a little curtsy, "So will you do me the honor of escorting me to the bar?"

"Of course," I said giving a little bow of my own just to see her giggle. The things I was already doing for this girl… if only I had seen the signs then.

We walked down Miley's property and down the streets until we made it to the bar. Miley went to punch in and I went to talk to Paul.

"My boy!" Paul said when he saw me. He was drying some glasses at one of the tables. The place didn't open until five so the place was still empty except for a few employees. I saw Leslie and gave her a little nod, just to keep my options open.

"So I was thinking," Paul said, putting an arm around me, "We'll warm everyone up with the usual band, then we'll put you up there. Just play whatever you've got for as long as you want. When you're done, just try to catch Miley's eye and we'll send her up there. I think she was planning on playing guitar tonight. Then when she's done, the regular band will go back up again, but you're welcome to stick around as long as you like. If you're up to it later, you can even go on again. I won't even throw you out if you're not buying."

I laughed at his joke, but my palms started sweating the moment he walked away from me. This was it. I had been playing guitar and writing forever, but I hadn't exactly had a lot of experience performing in front of people. I tried to imagine the empty club filled with people watching me perform, but it just made me more nervous.

"So I hear you're my opening act," Miley teased me, sliding up beside me and nudging me gently.

I faintly smiled at her, but it's all I could muster as that point.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, her tone going from playful to serious.

"Nothing… just getting ready to perform."

"Oh so you're nervous."

"I'm not—" I started to say, but was interrupted by a disapproving look from her. Her hand slid into mine, much like mine slid into hers earlier.

"Don't be. You were amazing last night. I promise everyone liked you. And even if you're bad, at least you're cute."

I smirked at her confession, "Oh, so you think I'm cute?"

"Of course, I don't kiss boys who aren't cute."

I was surprised because it was the first time that she acknowledged the fact that we kissed. I quickly recovered though and continued smirking.

"Oh good, I was starting to think that was a dream."

She shook her head at my teasing and then ducked beneath the bar to do some more set up for tonight.

I stared out at the crowd as I finished my first song. Almost everyone was clapping enthusiastically. I grinned. I was nervous before, but being on stage, it felt right. Watching the people clap along and dance to my music was great. It felt like I had some kind of connection with every person in the room.

"I'm Nick Jonas," I said with a cocky little grin, "And if you like my music, please tell any record companies you know."

A laugh came from the crowd and I smiled wider before launching into the next song. I looked out at everyone again. This song was more upbeat and people were dancing and even the old men at the bar were tapping their feet. Behind the bar, I saw Miley. She was facing away from me, probably mixing a drink or something, but her hips were moving along to the beat and it was a serious turn on. Especially because it was _my _music she was dancing to.

Coming here was a gamble, but in that moment, staring out at the crowd enjoying the music I wrote, and seeing Miley, I knew it was the best decision I've ever made.


	4. Chapter 4

**Don't even know why I haven't updated since this was practically the first part I wrote of this story. Sorry.**

As the summer went on, everything fell into a routine. Every morning, I'd wake up to the noise of Miley shuffling around the barn, sometimes singing. Truthfully, I think she made noise on purpose to wake me up, but I never told her that. After I got dressed, I'd help her with some chores, and then we'd go for a horseback ride.

Then she'd let me into her house to take a shower. If it was really hot, we'd stay inside her house, watching TV or making music. If it wasn't too bad, we'd sit up in the loft and play guitar and talk for hours. Sometimes she'd make me lunch or sometimes we'd just make sandwiches.

In the evening, we'd head down to the bar. Every night it seemed like there were more people coming. Word traveled fast in the town and apparently I was that word. Some nights, there wouldn't even be enough space for people to sit. And the girls. Every night it seemed like there was a new group of girls, some pretty, some not so much. But every night they'd sit at one of the front tables smiling and winking at me, until I played an upbeat song and they'd come and dance right in front of me.

As hot as some of the girls were, there was no competition. I only had eyes for Miley. There were infrequent kisses, but mostly we just hung out, held each other, talked about everything. I had never gotten along with a girl in this way. To be honest I never really _talked _to a girl the way Miley and I talked. We talked about our dreams, mine to be a musician and reach the world with my music and Miley's to be an actress and live the high life in Los Angeles. We talked about getting rich and famous and having so much money we didn't know what to do with it. But we also talked about the serious stuff. About our passion for what we did and at what cost we would get it. She talked about her mom and I told her a little about my family too. In a way, she was like my best friend.

But then there came the day that everything changed. It started off like any other morning, with the usual chores and then a horseback ride. The weather was hot and sticky and it was clear that a summer storm was on its way. Just as we reached the hilltop it started out with slow light raindrops and we decided to head back. When we were about half a mile from the barn, the skies opened up. Rain pelted us as we rode quickly back to the barn. In a matter of seconds I was soaked through my jeans and t-shirt. Miley turned around to make sure I was there and she began to laugh. I tried to be angry with her, but her laugh was contagious and soon I was chuckling too. She didn't stop as we made it to the barn and de-saddled the horses. It became louder when I shook my head and my hair sent water flying in every direction.

She looked so beautiful, her mouth wide open with joyous noise coming out of it and her body doubled over in laughter. I made my way over to her and without thinking, pulled her close and kissed her.

She stopped laughing then. She cupped my face and kissed me back so passionately that it made my knees weak. I was suddenly hyper aware of her soaking wet body against mine. I could still hear the rain beating loudly against the roof of the old building and I knew that the odds of her wanting to run back to her house in the rain were slim to none.

"Let me get you something dry to put on," I murmured in her ear and she nodded. Thank God I had just done my laundry and all of my clothes were clean.

I started up the ladder and she followed quickly behind me. I walked quickly over the shelves looking for something for her to put on. Before I got the chance to do so though, I suddenly felt small hands running across my stomach and Miley's body pressed tight against my back.

I turned around to ask her what she was doing, but was interrupted by her placing her lips delicately against mine. It was the softest, sweetest kiss I've ever been given.

I watched her hands as they went to the hem of my shirt and slowly began to pull it over my head. I was so confused that all I could do was comply. Yes, I had thought about it. More than once. Especially when she continued her little line dancing lessons. That girl could really move. But something about this moment was more… _intimate_ that I had imagined. In my fantasies it was hot and heavy and all about pleasure. But this was different.

Once my shirt was off, she kissed me again. Then she raised her hands in the air indicating that I should do the same to her.

I don't know if it was because I was wet or because I was nervous, but my hands were shaking as I pulled the soaking wet material off her body. She was breathtaking, truly breathtaking. It was better than anything I had imagined she would be.

Then she kissed me again. This time I reacted and gently parted her lips with my tongue to explore her mouth. She kissed back eagerly and it was so distracting that I almost didn't notice when she unbuttoned my jeans until she wrapped her cold hand around my hot aroused flesh.

"Miley," I groaned, pulling my mouth away from hers.

"Nick," she whispered into my ear as she pushed my jeans to the floor, "Make love to me."

I didn't need to be told twice. I instantly dropped to my knees, unbuttoning her pants and peeling the wet denim from her long legs. Her hands squeezed my shoulders gently and I looked up to make sure she was okay. She bit her lip and nodded so I stood back up and led her to the mattress.

That afternoon I made love to her for the first time, slowly and gently making her feel things she never felt before as she cried out my name. I kissed the beads of sweat off her body as the same rolled off of mine. I worshiped her body in a way that I had never done to another girl.

And that night I uttered the purest, most honest words that have ever come out of my mouth to her.

_"I love you."_


End file.
